Former Grafton Midview wrestling star dies in wreck (with Storify)

GRAFTON -- Dominic Zunis was always willing to help out a friend or a co-worker.

He often went out of his way to pick up a shift or comfort someone, his friends said yesterday.

The 18-year-old Midview High School graduate died yesterday morning when his car went off the road on SR 57 and became submerged in a partially frozen pond.

Zunis, of Elyria, was pronounced dead at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland after being flown by medical helicopter to the facility.

A caller reported the submerged vehicle at 7:21 a.m. Witnesses told Highway Patrol that Zunis was northbound on Mennell Road when he ran a stop sign, drove off the north side of SR 57 and into the pond. The car was submerged in approximately 10 feet of water for nearly two hours, troopers said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the highway patrol and the Ohio Investigative Unit.

Zunis, a high school wrestling star, worked at Wolfeys Bistro & Pub as a food runner and recently enlisted in the Air Force. He was planning to ship out in June, said Derrick Lanier, general manager at Wolfeys.

"He always got along with everybody, he was always on time and always willing to pick up shifts for anyone who wanted them covered, even if that meant he was working open to close," Lanier said. "He definitely had a good head on his shoulders."

In 2012, Zunis won the West Shore Conference Championship in the 220-pound weight category for Midview High School.

Even after graduating, Zunis helped out with the Midview wrestling team from time to time, Lanier said.

Zunis spent a lot of his time at Wolfeys, Lanier said. He would even come in on his days off to get a bite to eat.

Lanier recalled Zunis often avoiding him, as it was Lanier's job to send home food runners when the restaurant started to slow down.

"He would always try to hide from me because I was the person in charge of sending him home," Lanier said.

Zunis also made a point to avoid delivering certain foods, Lanier recalled.

After he spilled mussel sauce once, Zunis always asked someone else to carry other sauces to the table, Lanier said.

Lanier last saw Zunis Friday night.

"When he was leaving, he told me bye and I told him to have a good night and that I would see him today, but that didn't happen," Lanier said yesterday.

Brett Diederich lived nine houses away from Zunis and the pair were best friends throughout their childhoods.

They played baseball on the same team and always tried to organize a kick ball game after school when they were children.

Zunis was always there to support him, Diederich said. Zunis would drop whatever he was doing to assist his friends, Diederich said.

The pair drifted apart slightly after going to different high schools but Zunis and Diederich updated each other periodically on their lives. Diederich, an only child, said Zunis was like a brother.

"He gave quite a bit and never asked for much back," Diederich said.

Diederich said he will always associate "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd with Zunis.

Zunis and Diederich did not agree on music. Zunis loved country and Diederich was more in to rock. When Zunis got an iPod one summer, Lynyrd Skynyrd's southern rock became a mutual love.

"We listened to "Free Bird," that was one of the first times I can remember hearing it," Diederich said.

Zunis told Diederich that Free Bird made him feel like he could do anything.

"When I heard about the accident, that was the first thing I went to listen to," Diederich said. "Definitely wherever he is at, Skynyrd is playing somewhere."

Wolfeys has set up a Midview football helmet at the front of the store to collect donations for the family.

Customers familiar with Zunis wanted a way to donate, Lanier said.

"As soon as we got to work today, our customers knew him and they started to give us money to give to his family," he said.

The restaurant will also have a dine-to-donate day on May 25. Ten percent of that day's proceeds will go to the family, Lanier said.

"May 25 is the day that his mom had been planning with us to throw his going away party before he left for the Air Force," Lanier said. "We're trying to do everything we can to help the family."